GAO: FEMA Delivered $3.2 Billion but Helpline, Housing Shortfalls Hindered Aid

The Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered $3.2 billion in aid to survivors of recent major disasters, but many people still struggled with basic access problems, including getting through on FEMA’s helpline, understanding eligibility letters and finding housing, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday.

The watchdog also warned that FEMA’s recent shift away from door-to-door canvassing and toward help at fixed facilities could make it harder for some survivors to get assistance, especially people who are older, have disabilities, live in rural areas, or lack phone or internet access.

The findings matter because FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is the federal government’s main source of direct help for households after disasters. The program covers necessary expenses and serious needs not paid for by insurance or low-interest loans, including temporary lodging, rental assistance and home repairs.

The report, titled “Disaster Assistance High-Risk Series: FEMA Assistance for Disaster Survivors,” examined FEMA’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, the Los Angeles wildfires in early 2025, and the July 2025 floods in Texas. GAO said FEMA provided Individual Assistance to 1.2 million individuals and households across nine states in those disasters.

GAO said FEMA has made several policy changes since March 2024 aimed at improving access. Those steps included simplifying documentation for people seeking continued temporary housing help, adding a Displacement Assistance payment, ending a requirement that some applicants first pursue a Small Business Administration loan before qualifying for certain FEMA aid, and expanding disability-related accessibility assistance.

Even so, the report found major service delivery problems.

The most striking breakdown came on the helpline. The day before Hurricane Milton made landfall, FEMA received more than 124,000 calls. GAO said 39% went unanswered and the average wait time topped 26 minutes. In the two weeks after Milton, as many as 77% of daily calls went unanswered. The average wait time peaked at 2 hours and 14 minutes on Oct. 13, 2024.

Those delays matter because not everyone applies online. FEMA officials told GAO that about 70% of Individual Assistance applicants register through DisasterAssistance.gov, while the other 30% rely on channels such as the helpline or in-person assistance. As of Sept. 30, 2025, GAO said the helpline had registered more than 500,000 applicants, compared with more than 52,000 registered by FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance teams.

GAO also found that some FEMA letters confused survivors. In some cases, applicants interpreted them as denials when FEMA was actually asking for more information. The report said phrases at the top of letters such as “assistance not approved,” “not currently approved” and “no decision” contributed to the problem. FEMA revised letters in 2024 and 2025 to use plainer language and clearer next steps, and GAO said the agency began sending revised versions during the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Housing remained another persistent obstacle. GAO said survivors and officials described long-standing shortages after disasters, and FEMA officials said Hurricane Helene destroyed housing options that were already scarce. The rollout of direct housing was also delayed in some cases by setup needs for manufactured housing units, including septic tanks and energy meters.

The report said FEMA changed how it delivers in-person survivor assistance in 2025. A May 2025 memo prioritized aid at fixed facilities, and a June 26, 2025, memo ended unaccompanied door-to-door canvassing effective immediately while continuing support at fixed sites and state-led recovery centers. GAO said some FEMA and state officials worried that approach would leave out people who are hardest to reach.

That concern is heightened by uneven state capacity. Officials from four states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton told GAO they do not have their own individual assistance programs for disaster survivors. Nationwide, only 16 states operate such a program, and eight more limit theirs to unmet needs, GAO said. State and local governments would need time and resources to prepare if FEMA reduces its field presence or shifts more responsibility to them, the report said.

The report comes as GAO has elevated “Improving the Delivery of Federal Disaster Assistance” to its High-Risk List, a designation it added in February 2025 for long-standing management challenges. It also arrives while federal officials review FEMA’s role more broadly; GAO noted that the president established a FEMA Review Council in January 2025 to assess the agency’s disaster response efforts and recommend reforms. GAO said its findings were based on FEMA aid, helpline and letter data, along with 56 interviews and written responses from FEMA and affected state and local governments.